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Straight Talk's $45 Unlimited Everything BYOP Plan

See, I currently have Boost Mobile with a Flashed HTC EVO 4G on the account. I have been through so many phone with Boost including the flashed handsets and they all seem to have Low to No data on them. I'm only hitting 1xRTT (2G/EDGE) Speeds in Scranton, PA when advertised by Boost Mobile I should be getting 3G speeds. Now, I dunno if Boost has a cap - reason I'm only hitting 1xRTT or the flasher I purchased the phone from messed up the configurations but I am sick of Sprint's MVNO. Reason for this post is that I need some information on Walmart/TracFone's Straight Talk Plan. I see on the Straight Talk site that they have a new plan that launched on Feburary 7, 2012 called the BYOP Plan (Bring Your Own Phone Plan) and would like to use this plan with an iPhone 3GS/4/4S. Reason that I want this plan with the either the three current iPhone models is due to availability and financially. The Straight Talk site also states that its "UNLIMITED EVERYTHING". I have no idea if this is true about the data because Cell Companies tend to lie to get the customer onto their service but, it is tempting to start this plan because I have no idea if its true. With Boost Mobile as of now, I will be on the $40 plan with shrinkage in April. I wish to start Straight Talk either May/June/July because I want to use the rest of the account balance on my Boost Account before I make the switch. I'm literately fed up with Boost Mobile's Data Speeds. AT&T is much better in my area and Straight Talk does in fact run of all four of the major networks. So, is the data on Straight Talk truly unlimited data? I will be using my iPhone when I buy it alot. I would say about 100mb - 200mb a day which rounds out to about 3gb - 6gb a month. You would think it IS UNLIMITED because it's advertised as that correct? Also, please do not refer me to SIMple Mobile because I have already done my homework with that and they run off T-Mobile Towers and using the iPhone on T-Mobile in WILL ONLY pick up EDGE/2G Speeds. Oh, on the Straight Talk home page the word "UNLIMITED" has a small * next to it. What does that mean? I can't find the information for that * anywhere including TracFone, Net10, Straight Talk, and AT&T's Terms and Conditions or TOS for short. Thanks users of Howard Forums in advance for answering my questions.

Sorry, 3 or (GASP!) 6GB you will be terminated on Straight Talk. They don't even tell us what the official "limits" are but the general thought is to keep usage to 100MB/day and no more than 2GB per month.

Sorry, 3 or (GASP!) 6GB you will be terminated on Straight Talk. They don't even tell us what the official "limits" are but the general thought is to keep usage to 100MB/day and no more than 2GB per month.

I tested what I would normally use on wifi with a Cydia App this whole day on my iPod Touch 4g and it is only like 30mb. Here's the thing through - I'm almost always in places where WiFi is. So, then maybe I WONT USE THAT MUCH in a Day or Month. If I used 30mb TOPS a day then that only 900mb in a month - almost 1gb. Should that be good? If I want to use my iPhone for YouTube, App Downloads, Streaming Music, Netfilx, and Stocks I should probably use my WiFi at home right? I should be fine then If I use my WiFi at all times when at home. The Unlimited Minutes and Texts are REALLY UNLIMITED Right? I only use my current phone for texting and to check voicemail when I miss a call and only get 30calls a month. I ONLY USE 30MB A DAY SO WILL 20 - 50MB BE OKAY TO AVOID ACCOUNT TERMINATION?

Okay, I never tether because I have WiFi at home and I don't stream media on a cell phone. My phone primary used for ALOT OF TEXTING, 30calls MONTHLY, and for Pabster's response I will using ALL STREAMING on my home WIFI. Only when I use the 3G data is for if I'm out and only 20 - 50MB a day but NOT for streaming. Just for facebook updates.

Listen, part of the thing you have to learn with Straight Talk is that "Unlimited" isn't really "Unlimited". I don't know on voice/SMS (other MVNOs which advertise 'Unlimited' typically say 3000 or 5000 minutes and 5000 to 10000 text messages) and data on ST as I said, anecdotally, best not to exceed 100MB in a 24-hour period or 2GB in a month cycle MAX. They do specify no streaming. Way too many restrictions for my taste and the fact that they are so cagy about usage sucks. Why not just say 5000 minutes, 5000 text, and 2GB of data. Or whatever. My guess is they make a fortune from all the leeches they shut off as you don't get any refunds. (And now you can pay $15 for a SIM card too!)

Listen, part of the thing you have to learn with Straight Talk is that "Unlimited" isn't really "Unlimited". I don't know on voice/SMS (other MVNOs which advertise 'Unlimited' typically say 3000 or 5000 minutes and 5000 to 10000 text messages) and data on ST as I said, anecdotally, best not to exceed 100MB in a 24-hour period or 2GB in a month cycle MAX. They do specify no streaming. Way too many restrictions for my taste and the fact that they are so cagy about usage sucks. Why not just say 5000 minutes, 5000 text, and 2GB of data. Or whatever. My guess is they make a fortune from all the leeches they shut off as you don't get any refunds. (And now you can pay $15 for a SIM card too!)

If 30-50MB is all you would use in any given day ST may be just fine.

Some days I may not even use Straight Talk's 3G Data. Most likely I will use 350minutes, 250texts, and 1.5gb a month (50mb a day). Straight Talk's 3G Data will only be used for web browsing, in-browser email, google searches, facebook updates with short replies on other status, and using my bank's iOS app + PayPal. I will use my Home WiFi for iOS Updates, Syncing to iTunes, YouTube, Web Browsing, Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, PayPal, and Cydia Downloads + Updates. Does this sound good? Is 1.5gb (upto 50mb a day) safe?

I think 50MB per day 1.5GB per month is OK - hell I use more than that myself, though not on ST

Like I said the general train of thought is no more than 100MB per day 2GB per month TOTAL. Anything exceeding that you are liable to be suspended and shut down. The problem is that ST doesn't tell us what the real "Limits" are so you are taking a gamble anyway. You have to decide if that is worth it and a risk you are willing to take. Personally I would not use ST for my primary phone for this reason...you could be suspended and shut down, losing your $ for service that month and possibly your phone number as well. Just my thoughts and not necessarily shared by a majority.

What about GPS use? Say a one hour drive once in a while...or around town? I use my gps at least once a week...how does this compare?? I have Virgin Mobile and looking to switch here to use an iPhone.

You will be fine if you use GPS just once in a while. The actual GPS uses no data, but to identify your position faster it might use a little data, the bulk user of data is the map program, like Google maps etc to load maps on the drive, if you have tom tom or another preinstalled maps, you are looking at very minimal data.

From everything I've read in the last week and a half (since I learned about the BYOD plan the day it was released - literally well over a hundred pages on howard forums), you should be fine in the limits that you have specified. But we can't guarantee anything at all, because they don't give us the guidelines. One likely reason is that if they gave us a hard cap of, say 2GB, then every subscriber would likely use just up to 2GB without going over. Without giving that hard cap, a huge number of users will be very careful, especially if they are scared of getting shut off, and will only use 500MB because they're being so careful to use WIFI all the time. So ST profits both in less congestion and in money they don't have to pay AT&T or T-Mobile for data. I switched from VM on Wednesday even though I had already prepaid for next month with them -- I siimply couldn't deal with having unusable data and a crappy phone any longer, and I bought an iPhone 4S off Craigslist.
One benefit that I haven't seen anyone else mention if that I believe you are automatically logged into any of the thousands of AT&T WIFI hotspots throughout the land. Now most of those places will let you on for free anyway, but on my Optimus V it would say it was connected to the WIFI when it really wasn't. To actually be connected, I would have to start the browser and click the check box or the "I Agree" button on the webpage. If I didn't do that, say when I walked into SAMS club, my phone would switch from 3G to WIFI, but since I wasn't actually connected since I hadn't clicked the button, I wouldn't get any mail or other data that would have come in until I left the store and it switched back over to 3G. This morning when I walked into Sams Club with my iPhone that's only been activated for a couple days, it connected automatically and I was using WIFI data without it ever asking me to click a button. I'm assuming that's since we have an AT&T SIM card in the phone. It's a little thing, but it's one that in the long run will make a difference if you frequent SAMS, McDonalds, and all the other places that have AT&T WIFI.

From everything I've read in the last week and a half (since I learned about the BYOD plan the day it was released - literally well over a hundred pages on howard forums), you should be fine in the limits that you have specified. But we can't guarantee anything at all, because they don't give us the guidelines. One likely reason is that if they gave us a hard cap of, say 2GB, then every subscriber would likely use just up to 2GB without going over. Without giving that hard cap, a huge number of users will be very careful, especially if they are scared of getting shut off, and will only use 500MB because they're being so careful to use WIFI all the time. So ST profits both in less congestion and in money they don't have to pay AT&T or T-Mobile for data. I switched from VM on Wednesday even though I had already prepaid for next month with them -- I siimply couldn't deal with having unusable data and a crappy phone any longer, and I bought an iPhone 4S off Craigslist.
One benefit that I haven't seen anyone else mention if that I believe you are automatically logged into any of the thousands of AT&T WIFI hotspots throughout the land. Now most of those places will let you on for free anyway, but on my Optimus V it would say it was connected to the WIFI when it really wasn't. To actually be connected, I would have to start the browser and click the check box or the "I Agree" button on the webpage. If I didn't do that, say when I walked into SAMS club, my phone would switch from 3G to WIFI, but since I wasn't actually connected since I hadn't clicked the button, I wouldn't get any mail or other data that would have come in until I left the store and it switched back over to 3G. This morning when I walked into Sams Club with my iPhone that's only been activated for a couple days, it connected automatically and I was using WIFI data without it ever asking me to click a button. I'm assuming that's since we have an AT&T SIM card in the phone. It's a little thing, but it's one that in the long run will make a difference if you frequent SAMS, McDonalds, and all the other places that have AT&T WIFI.

So you now have Straight Talk on your iPhone 4S? What is the most data we should be using daily? I would say 50mb daily in the 2gb month frame. I'm going through with this but I DO NOT want them to shut my service off even though I'm using 50mb daily and in bulk of 1.5gb monthly. Has anyone ever reported that they've been shut off even though they were under the 2gb cap that we at Howard Forums label as the *safe limit*.

They watch your short term useage. They want to stop you before you can use way too much for the month.
Data is Unlimited, but then they limit you by putting restrictions on how you can use data. If you follow their T&C you will automatically be ok and not have to worry about daily or monthly useage.

There has to be something random to them watching short term usage. I have used a decent amount of data within a single day before. One time I even used 1.5gb in a day and they did not shut me off. When Straight Talk first started offering the E71 I would use data heavy and only toned it down because of people on here saying that they were getting shut off for it. I basically didn't want to buy another phone for $200 because mine turned into a brick but now that the cost of the phone dropped and they offer a sim card for $15 the only major loss i'd see would be in having to get a new phone number. Personally to me, being forced to change my phone number just means that I get the "opportunity" to accidentally forget to give it out to everyone for a couple of days and even totally forget to give it out to certain people indefinitely.